Evaluation of channel switching threshold for MBMS in UMTS networks

In this project, thershold to switching from dedicated to shared/common channel for efficent delivery of MBMS serveces have been evaluated. It also been evaluated the coverage using multiple channer in function of the distribution of the user

Mandibular distraction osteogenesis with a small semiburied device in neonates: report of 2 cases.

Distraction osteogenesis has recently assumed an important role in the correction of craniofacial anomalies, particularly for the treatment of potentially life-threatening, deformity-associated upper airway obstruction and respiratory dysfunction in neonates. Such deformities include Treacher Collins syndrome, Goldenhar's syndrome, Nager's syndrome, temporomandibular joint ankylosis, and Pierre Robin sequence. These conditions frequently require a tracheostomy to maintain airway patency. We report our experience with using mandibular distraction as a valid alternative to tracheostomy. Minimally invasive surgery is possible with small semiburied devices

National minorities and their representation in social surveys: which practices make a difference?

This paper presents a systematic study of survey mechanisms that produce or reduce minority bias in social surveys. It extends the work of Lipps etal. (2011) who have demonstrated that, in the Swiss context, the more an ethno-national minority community differs, socio-culturally and socio-economically, from the national majority, the less it is likely to be represented in its proper proportion in the major national surveys. Minority bias furthermore has a vertical dimension: socio-economic bias against individuals from the most deprived backgrounds becomes extreme within ethno-national minority communities. Using data from the Swiss Labour Force Survey, the Swiss Household Panel, and the Swiss sample of the European Social Survey, in the present work we empirically assess the impact of three types of survey practices on minority bias: (1) strategies to increase overall response rates of the whole population indiscriminately from its minority status, (2) the use of pre- and post-stratification measures that take into account the overall share of foreigners in the national population, and (3) the conduct of interviews in a wider range of languages, in order to facilitate survey response among certain (linguistic) minorities. Our findings show that efforts to increase overall response rates can, paradoxically, create even more minority bias. On the other hand, they suggest that a combination of stratified sampling and a wider range of survey languages can have a positive effect in reducing survey bias, both between and within national categories. We conclude that measures that take into account and adapt to the social and cultural heterogeneity of surveyed populations do make a difference, whereas additional efforts that only replicate existing routine practices can be counter-productiv

Pillars of Trust: An Experimental Study on Reputation and Its Effects

This paper presents the results of laboratory experiments on the relevance of reputation for trust and cooperation in social interaction. We have extended a repeated investment game by adding new treatments where reputation is taken more explicitly into account than before. We then compared treatments where the investor and the trustee rate each other and treatments where the investor and the trustee were rated by a third party. The results showed that: (i) third party reputation positively affects cooperation by encapsulating trust; (ii) certain differences in the reputation mechanism can generate different cooperation outcomes. These results have interesting implications for the recent sociological debate on the normative pillars of markets

Health education intervention to improve vaccination knowledge and attitudes in a cohort of Obstetrics students.

Introduction. To improve the vaccination coverage in pregnant women it is important to increase their knowledge of vaccines and related preventable diseases. Midwifes can play an important role because they are often the first contact for woman during her pregnancy. This study aimed to explore the vaccination knowledge and attitudes in a cohort of Obstetrics students in Italy and improve their knowledge through an informative health education intervention. Methods. The study consisted in the administration of a first questionnaire followed by a health education intervention concerning all aspects of vaccinations. Then, a second questionnaire to evaluate the efficacy of the educational program was administered. Results. From the pre-intervention questionnaire resulted that almost the whole sample (97.1%) were favorable to vaccines in general. Moreover, 65.7% of the participants declared a sufficient level of vaccination knowledge but 62.9% found herself unprepared to answer questions and provide information about vaccinations. Concerning the answers about vaccination in pregnancy, the correct answers went from 17.1%, to 68.6% respectively before and after educational intervention. The training intervention obtained a total consensus (100%). The most part of the students (85.7%) declared that the received information changed some of their beliefs and the entire sample (100%) stated that it improved their preparation. Conclusions. Our results revealed some critical issues in the preparation of midwifes about vaccinations and confirm the necessity to carry out health intervention campaigns to these health professionals that, for the role they play, they must necessarily be well prepared

Prediction of human targets for viral-encoded microRNAs by thermodynamics and empirical constraints

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNA molecules that modulate gene expression through degradation of specific mRNAs and/or repression of their translation. miRNAs are involved in both physiological and pathological processes, such as apoptosis and cancer. Their presence has been demonstrated in several organisms as well as in viruses. Virus encoded miRNAs can act as viral gene expression regulators, but they may also interfere with the expression of host genes. Viral miRNAs may control host cell proliferation by targeting cell-cycle and apoptosis regulators. Therefore, they could be involved in cancer pathogenesis. Computational prediction of miRNA/target pairs is a fundamental step in these studies. Here, we describe the use of miRiam, a novel program based on both thermodynamics features and empirical constraints, to predict viral miRNAs/human targets interactions. miRiam exploits target mRNA secondary structure accessibility and interaction rules, inferred from validated miRNA/mRNA pairs. A set of genes involved in apoptosis and cell-cycle regulation was identified as target for our studies. This choice was supported by the knowledge that DNA tumor viruses interfere with the above processes in humans. miRNAs were selected from two cancer-related viruses, Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and Kaposi-Sarcoma-Associated Herpes Virus (KSHV). Results show that several transcripts possess potential binding sites for these miRNAs. This work has produced a set of plausible hypotheses of involvement of v-miRNAs and human apoptosis genes in cancer development. Our results suggest that during viral infection, besides the protein-based host regulation mechanism, a post-transcriptional level interference may exist. miRiam is freely available for downloading at http://ferrolab.dmi.unict.it/miriam

T-shaped Uterus, Other Studies are Needed But What Can We Do in The Meantime?

Dysmorphic uterus is a condition that can affect fertility differently depending on the type of malformation. The most common uterine malformation is the septum but other uterine malformations can affect fertility, as t-shaped uteru

The role of lung colonization in connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease

Connective tissue diseases (CTDs) may frequently manifest with interstitial lung disease (ILD), which may severely impair quality and expectation of life. CTD-ILD generally has a chronic clinical course, with possible acute exacerbations. Although several lines of evidence indicate a relevant role of infections in the acute exacerbations of CTD-ILD, little information is available regarding the prevalence of infections in chronic CTD-ILD and their possible role in the clinical course. The aim of the present retrospective study was the identification of lung microbial colonization in broncho-alveolar lavage from patients affected by stable CTD-ILD with radiologically defined lung involvement. We demonstrated that 22.7% of patients with CTD-ILD display microbial colonization by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Haemophilus influenzae, and non-tuberculous mycobacteria. Moreover, these patients display a major radiologic lung involvement, with higher impairment in lung function tests confirmed in a multivariate logistic regression analysis. Overall, the present study provides new information on lung colonization during CTD-ILD and its possible relationship with lung disease progression and severity

Ureteroscopy in pregnant women with complicated colic pain: Is there any risk of premature labor?

Objective: Clinical presentation of ureteral stones during pregnancy is generally with renal colic pain. The aim of this study is to present our experience in the management of renal colic during pregnancy in emergency settings. Materials and methods: 208 pregnant patients who presented to emergency department with renal colic pain and underwent ureteroscopy (URS) due to failed conservative therapy were enrolled in the study. Urinary tract stones were diagnosed either with ultrasound (US) examination or during URS. Laser lithotripsy and double J (DJ) stent placement were routinely done in all patients with ureteral stones. The incidence of infective complications and premature uterine contractions (PUC) due to URS were compared. Results: No stone was identified in 36.1% (n = 75) of patients with using US and diagnostic URS. Of the remaining 133 patients, 30 (22.6%) had no stone at US but stones were diagnosed during diagnostic URS. The type of anesthesia had no significant effect on PUC. An increased risk of sepsis and PUC was found in patients with fever at the initial presentation. Interestingly, PUC was more frequent in patients with lower serum magnesium levels. There was a significant correlation with time delay until the intervention and the risk of urosepsis and PUC, individually. Conclusions: Ureteroscopy is a safe option for evaluation of pregnant patients with unresolved renal colic. According to the current findings, timing of the operation is the most important factor affecting the septic risks and abortion threat. Surgical intervention with URS must be planned as soon as possible

Periodontal condition in growing subjects with Marfan Syndrome: a case-control study

Background Marfan’s syndrome (MFS) is a systemic disorder of connective tissue caused by mutations in the extracellular matrix protein fibrillin-1. Orofacial characteristics may be useful in identification of the syndrome. Severe periodontitis is sometimes observed in MFS patients, but no in-depth information has been reported in Italian groups of growing subjects with MFS. The aim of this study was to analyze the periodontal condition on a group of growing subjects affected by MFS, in comparison with a typically developed control group. Methods A group of 16 subjects with diagnosed MFS were recruited from the Centre for Rare Diseases for Marfan Syndrome and Related Disorders of Tor Vergata University Hospital. The Marfan Group (MG) was compared with a Control Group (CG) composed by 20 nonsyndromic subjects. The periodontal clinical parameters like Marginal Gingival Thickness (GT), Plaque Index (PI), Bleeding On Probing (BOP) and Modified Periodontal Screening and Recording (PSR) were assessed. Results The mean value of PI in MG was 59%, instead in CG it reached 21%. Analysis showed a significant difference between MG and CG also for the BOP. In MG the mean value of BOP attained 36% and in CG it reached 16%. A statistical significant difference of distribution of PSR index between the two groups was found for all sextant examined. Discussion Patients with Marfan syndrome reveal a higher presence of plaque and consequently a generalized inflammation in the oral cavity when compared with a control group